The Dallas in Prizzi project began as an answer to one man’s love of a town that had embraced him. Moved by the religion, the people, and culture, David ‘Dave’ Atkinson sought to give back to Prizzi through art. And so in spring 2017, Dave brought three artists to Prizzi to add to its beauty through the addition of three murals.

The project has continued to thrive since that moment. Bringing attention to the town of Prizzi and island of Sicily, the Dallas in Prizzi project aims to renew interest in the area for generations to come.

Panel 1

Prizzi Murals

Artists Frank Campagna, Olivia Cole, and Maria Haag, were commissioned for their talent and vision as indispensable contributors to the Dallas in Prizzi project.

The artists dedicated their time to one mural each, and each mural spoke to a specific element of Prizzi’s culture:

  • Olivia Cole painted a mural of Our Lady of Mount Carmel, a Marian figure to whom the Prizzese have a particular devotion. Cole based her piece off of a local statue and imbued various elements of the statue in her mural.
  • Maria Haag, whom Atkinson met at a Young Catholic Professionals event, painted a large mural of the Incontro, the scene between Mary and Jesus that Atkinson refers to above. Certainly this image of the unique tradition reflects an important and recognizable scene of Prizzi.
  • Frank Campagna, the third artist, painted another large mural of two well-known anti-Mafia judges: Giovanni Falcone and Paolo Borsellino, who were assassinated 25 years ago by the Mafia for presiding over the trials that convicted hundreds of Mafiosi in the government’s highly successful and transformative crackdown on the Sicilian Mafia. These two figures are inspirational to all Sicilian people, as they actively changed the presence and influence of the Mafia in Sicily.

University of Dallas News

Panel 2

The Documentary

Knowing this was a once in a lifetime opportunity, Dave worked with Luca Vullo to document the murals installment and effect on the community.

“Luca Vullo is a writer, director and producer based between London and Los Angeles who has realized powerful documentaries well received and recognized internationally” (IMDb).

The documentary, “Dallas in Prizzi,” premiered in Prizzi in December 2017, and Dallas in February 2018.

Panel 3 Placeholder
Panel 4 Placeholder